Spring 2015 Survey Data

40-Nation survey conducted March 25 – May 27, 2015

There are striking differences in the extent to which people think the Quran should influence their nation’s laws, according to surveys across 10 countries with significant Muslim populations.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, both economically and socially, technology adoption remains one of the defining factors in human progress. To that end, there has been a noticeable rise over the past two years in the percentage of people in the emerging and developing nations surveyed by Pew Research Center who say that they use the internet and own a smartphone.

As elections near, Venezuelans are down on President Nicolás Maduro and Hugo Chávez’s legacy, but wide ideological splits point to a nation divided. Overall, most are dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

A global median of 54% consider climate change a very serious problem. But there are regional differences on the issues, with the U.S. and China among the least concerned.

Turks are split on whether their democratic system is working, and views of Erdogan are at their lowest since 2012. But they still prefer a democratic form of government over a strong leader to guide their country.

Canadians have positive views of the U.S. and are generally satisfied with their relationship. But they disagree on whether to build the Keystone XL pipeline, with more Canadians opposed to the project compared with Americans.

Most people in China say they are better off financially than they were five years ago. At the same time, they're worried about corrupt officials, air and water pollution, crime and economic inequality.

Indians give high marks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his appeal is a driving force behind their positive mood. Indians approve of the way Modi is handling a variety of issues, such as access to clean toilets, unemployment and terrorism.

Americans see a number of economic threats from China, but they are also worried about cyberattacks, Bejing's human rights record, China's impact on the environment and its growing military strength.

Despite historical and territorial frictions, people in Asia-Pacific countries tend to view their neighbors in a positive light. But they express limited confidence in the region's most prominent national leaders.

Three years after being elected president, Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto is increasingly unpopular, and his ratings on specific issues, such as education, corruption and fighting drugs and crime, have dropped sharply.

Outside its own borders, neither Russia nor its president, Vladimir Putin, receives much respect or support, with a median of only 30% across 39 nations surveyed seeing Russia favorably.

Seven years after the beginning of the global financial crisis, a Pew Research Center survey of 40 nations finds that publics in fewer than half the countries have a positive view of their economy.

While Latin Americans approve of the U.S. re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, they hold mixed views on Cuba overall and have little confidence in Raul Castro.

As the Islamic militant group ISIS continues to entrench itself in Syria and Iraq, concerns about Islamic extremism are growing in the West and in countries with significant Muslim populations.

People in many countries around the world, particularly in Latin America and Africa, list climate change as a top worry. Americans, Europeans and Middle Easterners, however, most frequently cite ISIS as their top threat.

The first decade of this century witnessed an historic reduction in global poverty and a near doubling of the number of people who could be considered middle income. But the emergence of a truly global middle class is still far from fruition.

Ratings for the U.S. remain mostly positive, with a global median of 69% expressing a favorable view. Countries also express broad support for America's military efforts against ISIS, but are critical of the U.S. government's use of torture after 9/11.

Majorities or pluralities in 31 of 40 countries surveyed hold an unfavorable opinion of the Islamic Republic. And in several Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Asia, ratings have declined considerably in recent years.

Publics of key NATO member nations blame Russia for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but few support sending arms to Ukraine. And half of Russians see NATO as a military threat, while Ukrainians favor joining NATO.

In the wake of the euro currency crisis, public support for the EU and the belief that European economic integration was good for one’s country had declined precipitously across Europe, reaching a low point in 2013. But in 2015, favorable views of the EU and faith in the efficacy of creating a single market are generally rebounding in major EU member states.